KOKESHI

Dentou (Traditional) Kokeshi of NE Japan:
We've got about a dozen new kokeshi in stock looking for good homes. I grew up with dolls like this around the house since my mother was from Sendai, in Miyagi Prefecture. Traditional kokeshi are ALL from the Tohoku region of Northeast Japan,
the area struck by the earthquake and tsunami last March.
We have not yet heard any reports of how the contemprary
kokeshi industry has been affected by these event. But, most of the workshops are in villages located inland from the coast so are hoping that all have survived. Tourism is way down in the region, so we are certain that business is not good. What also may be true is that many of the older pieces in private collections throughout the region could be lost.